(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to measuring dispensers, and particularly to adjustable measuring dispensers for granular materials.
(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Certain types of dispensers are now sold and used primarily for dispensing measured quantities of granular materials such as sugar, etc. for sweetening coffee, tea, cereal, etc. Those dispensers are in need of improvement.
Such prior dispensers usually are relatively tall, and have a “pistol-grip” type of lever which, when pushed by the user, causes a pre-measured quantity of granular material to be dispensed through an opening in the bottom. Thus, the user can hold the dispenser over a cup of coffee or tea, or a bowl of cereal, etc., and dispenses sugar or other sweetener by one or more actuations of the lever.
A problem with such dispensers is that it is relatively difficult to change the measured quantity of material dispensed with each stroke of the lever. Typically, this is done by providing removable measurement inserts, in which one insert is removed from the device and another is inserted in its place in order to change the quantity being dispensed with each stroke. For example, if the dispenser is set up to dispense a half-teaspoon with each stroke, and it is desired to change the measurement to one teaspoon, a ½ teaspoon measurement element is removed from the dispenser and replaced with a one-teaspoon element to change the amount dispensed to a full teaspoon for each stroke.
This scheme of adjustment is cumbersome and difficult, especially in that it requires the user to store spare elements in a drawer or other such place. The spare elements tend to get misplaced, and it can require some time to hunt for them. Moreover, even if the spare elements are not lost, it is an undesirably slow process to exchange elements.
Other prior adjustable measuring dispensers have been provided with dial-type adjustment means, so that a new quantity to be dispensed can be set by merely turning a dial. However, such prior dispensers suffer from other drawbacks, in that sometimes they are not easy to fill because the mechanism for adjustment is located at the top of the device. Also, some such devices do not dispense the material in a concentrated stream, but instead spread the material over a relatively wide area so that it sometimes is difficult to aim the dispensed quantity into a coffee or tea cup accurately.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an adjustable measuring dispenser and method which alleviate or overcome the foregoing problems.
In particular, it is an object to provide a dispenser whose measurements can be adjusted quickly and easily, without having to replace parts of the dispenser.
It is a further object to provide such a dispenser in which extra parts need not be stored separately from the dispenser and are not therefore subject to loss.
Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide such a dispenser which operates freely and easily by the use of normal hand pressure by the user.